Neverland of Black and White
by FierySprites
Summary: In which the survivors of Class 78 (and Komaru) get thrown back in time, landing right in front of their younger selves. In the cafeteria. At Hope's Peak. Hilarity ensues. [Post-DR3 Time Travel, Two-Shot]
1. History Repeats and Repeats

**Neverland of Black and White**

**_Chapter 1_**_  
History Repeats and Repeats_

(Uploaded on February 9, 2020)

* * *

**Summary:** (Or, the weirdest high school reunion of all time happens.)

**Notes:** This fic is set in an alternate timeline to _Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak Academy – Side: Despair._ The future Class 78 are from sometime after the conclusion of _Side: Hope._ Past!Class 78 has only been enrolled in Hope's Peak for a few months, and none of the major Tragedy-inducing events have occurred yet.

This fic is not canon to _Class 78's Face-Off Hope Romp._

The title is derived from the lyrics to _Dead or Lie,_ the opening theme to _Danganronpa 3 – Side: Future._

* * *

**[Makoto]**

**Location:** _(Ack! Wh-Wha—!?)_

"_Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"_

You'd think that, with my days as Class 78's Ultimate Luckster long since behind me, I'd outgrow the trend of tripping and stumbling upon matters both fortunate and unfortunate to discover.

Unfortunately, you would be wrong.

Today had been pretty mundane, as far as things go. I had wrapped up my duties as headmaster for the day, and Kyoko and I were about to go have a nice dinner with my sister and our friends. With the Tragedy being several years behind us, we figured it'd be nice to chat a little, even reminiscence about the past. The world was healing, Hope's Peak was respectable again… what better time was there to go out and celebrate?

Apparently, that time was 'anytime but now'—'cause right when we were heading into the restaurant, the floor gave way and I ended up falling through some sort of wormhole.

Once a Luckster, always a Luckster, I guess.

"_Oof!"_

Luckily for me, the fall didn't last long, as I soon crashed to the ground rather unceremoniously. My friends also did the same, and we ended up forming an uncomfortable pile on top of each other.

"Ow," I groaned, scratching my back. "That kinda hurt…"

"What the heck…?" Hina muttered, eyes spinning around in disorientation. "Did—Did we get caught by some kind of earthquake…?"

"I told you dudes, I told you!" Hiro's voice crowed semi-triumphantly. "'Great change will happen when you least expect it!' Fortune cookies really _are_ sources of wisdom!"

"Good for you," Byakuya sarcastically grumbled, "but I don't exactly see how that helps us now. Toko, that better not be you touching my butt."

"Th-That's not me!" Toko immediately denied. "I'm not doing it! I-I-I only touch K-Komaru's, a-anyway!"

_Going to ignore that statement…_

"Sorry! I can't exactly help it!" my sister apologized. "I mean, we're in a bit of a tight squeeze right now…"

A few moments later, we had managed to untangle ourselves and were standing upright on the ground again. I took stock of everyone: Byakuya looked disgruntled, Toko was fretting over Komaru, Hiro was rummaging through his pockets ("I gotta check on all my stuff!"), Hina was getting her head back on straight, and Kyoko was as cool-headed as ever. I felt a little relieved, despite myself; after surviving two Killing Games and a heck of a lot more, you learn to appreciate the luck in having all your friends be a-okay.

"Okay," Kyoko said, dusting herself off, "it looks like we're all here. Anyone feel any discomfort from the fall?"

"Hmph. A Togami wouldn't be bruised from _that."_

"Don't worry—I survived Towa City, this is nothing by comparison!"

"Oh no! My super-expensive crystal ball broke again! _Why does this keep happening!?"_

"I'll take that as a no," the ex-Detective concluded.

"That's a relief…!" I sighed. "Jeez, crazy stuff is drawn to us like a magnet. We can't even go out to eat without _something_ going haywire. At this point, I'm beginning to wonder if it's even my luck at work."

"Well, we _are_ the former students of Class 78," Kyoko nonchalantly replied, "the last batch of Ultimates from the old Hope's Peak Academy. You remember those days as much as I do—it's no surprise that still follows us around to some degree."

"I guess you're right, Kyoko," I shrugged. "Now, the question is… what even _happened?_ Sinkholes don't just open up like that."

"It better not be the world punishing us for trying to have fun," Hina pouted. "It would've been great to eat a ton of donuts today!"

"S-Speak for yourself, you big-breasted b-bimbo…" Toko grumbled. _"I_ wanted to s-snuggle with my c-cuddle-bunny, but we can't always get what we w-want…"

"We appear to have dropped into Hope's Peak," my beloved deduced, continuing as if the others hadn't spoken—"which is strange, considering we were halfway across the city five minutes ago. In addition, the school seems to be… older than it was earlier today. I can't imagine why, but perhaps it's because—"

"_Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-WHAT THE HECK!? Makoto!? Kyoko!? EVERYONE!?"_

And then we all froze.

That—That was a voice I hadn't heard in a long time.

As in, _'first Killing Game'_ long time.

Slowly, we craned our heads to face the unfamiliar familiar sound…

…and we were greeted by sixteen faces staring slack-jawed at us from a cafeteria table, food almost entirely forgotten.

I couldn't help but drop my own jaw at the sight of sixteen-year-old Sayaka Maizono—the owner of the voice—sitting next to sixteen-year-old me and Kyoko.

I quickly counted off the students before me in my head. _There's me, Kyoko, and Sayaka, sitting like we used to—there's Toko hovering over Byakuya—Mondo, Taka, and Chihiro; Leon, Celeste, and Hifumi; Hiro, Hina, Sakura, oh__** god**__ Junko and Mukuro—_

_It's—It's us._

_It's us, as we used to be, innocent and unknowing of despair._

_It's them; our old classmates, alive and still full of hopes and dreams._

_**Class 78**__._

…_how!?_

For several moments, we just blankly stared at each other, in disbelief at what we were seeing.

Then, Byakuya—our Byakuya—broke the silence with two rather appropriate choices for words.

"…well, _shit."_

And then chaos filled the air.

* * *

**Hope's Peak Academy  
Headmaster's Office**

Jin Kirigiri looked like he was nursing a headache.

Honestly, I'd be doing the same if I was in his position.

"You know," he said, "I'm… I'm not sure what to say about all of this."

"Don't worry," Komaru sheepishly replied, "none of us are either."

"_Shh! __N-__Not the time!" _Toko hissed.

"_Whoops. Sorry!"_

The elder Kirigiri waited for the two to settle down. "In all the time I've spent as headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy," He sighed, tiredly gazing into our eyes, "I've never come across a case as bizarre as this. So… time travel, was it?"

Kyoko nodded. "That would appear to be the logical conclusion, yes. One minute we were about to enter a diner, the next we had jumped over a full decade back in time. It is rather perplexing, I will admit—though not entirely an unexpected event."

"Talk about it," I said, laying back a bit in my chair. "I mean, after the time my students accidentally set two bathrooms on fire—_and_ somehow made a breakthrough in medicine in the process—something like this was bound to happen eventually."

A chuckle exited the principal's mouth. "On fire, huh…? It is… good to hear that even ten years on, Hope's Peak hasn't changed a bit."

I frowned. "In some respects, it hasn't. In others…" I let the sentence hang for a moment. Being here was bringing back a host of memories – ones I had thought to be long past us. "…it had to, if it was ever going to reopen."

"Re-Re_open…?"_ Jin repeated in shock. "But… that implies that Hope's Peak had to be closed down! Th-This place is the bastion of hope for the entire world! Without the talent that emerges from here—seventy years' worth of it… how could there be hope to overcome despair?"

And now the rest of the room was frowning, no doubt intensely remembering what the impact those kind of ideals had. I put a hand to my forehead, suppressing the well of sarcasm that threatened to escape. "That's not what you should be focused on, Kirigiri-san," I said, quickly shoving a balled-up fist in my pocket. "That kind of thinking… it's what led to the Tragedy so easily consuming civilization whole."

"Wh-Wha—!?"

"Tch. That's right." Byakuya pushed his glasses up, sternly glaring at the headmaster. "The zeroth Killing Game hasn't taken place yet. I almost forgot. Without that context, a plebian like you—however elite you are—won't be able to understand."

Toko took over explaining. "Th-The Student Council—that bitch Junko Enoshima f-forced them to kill each other, and u-used their deaths to make l-literally _everyone_ go insane. So much talent, d-dying out like that? …it—no one could accept it."

"She's the **Ultimate Despair**, hiding behind the mask of an Ultimate Fashionista," Hina added, eyes blazing with fury. "All she wants is to feel as much despair as she can, and she'll drag the entire world down with her just to satisfy her addiction. Ugh, why can't she—she _get out_ of our lives for good…!?"

"She's _crazy,_ dude!" Hiro chimed in, looking serious for once in his life. "And I don't need my 30% success rate to tell you that! You gotta do something about her—none of us wanna go through hell like that ever again!"

"Same here," Komaru growled. "I mean sure, I wouldn't have met Toko otherwise—" She shifted closer to the ex-Writing Prodigy, who (still somewhat surprisingly) reciprocated her girlfriend's feelings. "—but it gave me a lot of scars I haven't entirely healed from."

"…you're serious," Jin realized. "You're actually serious. One girl—a girl I personally vetted—she did all of that…?" He turned to Kyoko, all of a sudden worn out and tired. "…can it really be?"

Kyoko was silent for a minute. "…I know in the past we've had our fair share of differences," she acknowledged, doing her best to avert her sight. _It's still so painful to remember him, huh…?_ "And I… wasn't the most forgiving of individuals, then. But—believe me when I say that it's all true. Every single word."

"To be fair, Junko wasn't the only cause," I stated. "Hope's Peak was just as responsible, if not more so. So many people suffered because of them: the Warriors of Hope, Chiaki Nanami, Chisa Yukizome, Hajime Hinata… even Mukuro Ikusaba deserved more than what they got." _And there were plenty more names I hadn't even said yet._

The minute I said Hajime's name, the frowns on our faces grew deeper. I knew what was going through our minds—the Izuru Kamukura Project, the culmination of the Steering Committee's efforts to create the Ultimate Hope. The project that only served to drive the nail further in the old Hope's Peak's coffin.

Just another thing to add to the list. A list of everything we need to change.

"We'll get back to our own times eventually. Hajime won't leave us hanging for long." _Making a time machine isn't __**too**__ out of his skillset._ "But before we do… we're going to do our best to save this world from its own Tragedy." I glanced around at my friends, and confirmed their expressions were as determined as mine. "We've been through too much not to do so."

"I can see that," Jin sighed again. "Very well. I'll help get you seven set up and… we'll see what we can do from there."

* * *

**Class 78's Homeroom**

The seven of us stood in front of the classroom, feeling the gaze of the sixteen younger Ultimates ratcheting all over us. Kizakura had dismissed himself moments earlier, citing _"I think you guys have got this handled. Go get 'em, Kyoko!"_

What helpful advice. Thanks so much, Koichi.

An awkward silence floated about the room, much like it had during our first encounter with them. I decided to cut everyone some slack and take the initiative.

"So! Sorry for crashing in on you guys earlier." I put on my warmest smile and tried to look as inviting as possible. "Time travel can be a bit of a bumpy ride, especially when it's not planned. I understand our appearances have surprised most of you—" _Understatement of the century_ "—so we'll introduce ourselves now. I'm Makoto Naegi, future headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy."

And then the whole room seemed to explode.

"_H-H-H-__**Headmaster!?"**_ my younger self gaped. "Th-That can't be right! I'm—I'm just an ordinary guy! A little more optimistic than others, b-but—definitely not headmaster material!"

"A respectable position to uptake!" Taka shouted, as fiery and authority-abiding as ever. "We should all congratulate Makoto on accomplishing something so incredible!"

"H-Hey, d-don't you think you should wait for that to _actually_ happen first!?"

"Hey man," Mondo said, "take it for what it is! You're goin' to the fuckin' _big leagues!"_

"Ha!" I fought to conceal a grimace as Junko let out a boisterous laugh. "Herbivore boy actually got a job that high? Get a load of that, Muku!" She slapped her sister on the back, the Soldier subtly flinching from the hit. (Ugh, that's right. Junko was never the best sibling…) "Talk about one heck of a personality upgrade!"

"You'd be surprised at how much you can change," I shrugged. "I wouldn't recommend taking the same route I did, though. Wasn't… the most fun time."

"A-As cool as it is to see Makoto all grown up," Chihiro meekly said _(don't get flashbacks to him being hung up now)__,_ "I—I think we should hear out the others, too. We might get a glimpse of our own futures, too."

_If only, Chihiro. If only._

"I believe the most of the rest of us go without saying as well," Kyoko said. "I'm Kyoko Kirigiri-Naegi, assistant headmaster and Makoto Naegi's wife." She shot a smirk at the audience, definitely feeling a little satisfaction from saying that out loud. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"_Makoto Naegi's __**WIFE!?"**_ Sayaka and Mukuro jumped out of their seats in sheer disbelief, while younger me and Kyoko started blushing up a storm, unable to look at each other. It was cute, seeing the latter so flustered—it's not every day she loses her cool like that.

"_That can't be true!"_ the Pop Sensation immediately denied. "M-Makoto would _never_ marry _Kyoko!"_

"She—She's right. You're joking._ You have to be!"_ the Soldier insisted, hand twitching uncontrollably.

"Oh, _really?"_ And that was when—with no small amount of smugness—she drew me into an embrace and kissed me full on the lips, much to the class's collective surprise. I was a little shocked myself, but I decided to just go with the flow (any excuse to kiss Kyoko's good enough for me).

Out of the corner of my vision, I could see Byakuya sighing and palming his face, muttering, _"Of course she would do that… Oi vey…"_

"Hmm. I expected as much to happen," Celeste mused, bringing a hand to her mouth as Kyoko and I separated our lips. "Hina, Leon, I do believe you each owe me 10,000 yen now."

"_Noooooooooo!"_ Leon cried dramatically. "Dang it, he just had to choose the _other_ cool-headed girl…!"

"Poo," Past Hina pouted, "I was hedging my bets on Makoto and Sayaka…"

"Heh heh heh heh…" Hifumi chuckled. "So, Naegiri was canon after all! The One True Pairing strikes again!"

And now both Sayaka and Mukuro were glaring at my past self as if this revelation was his fault. (Huh. Not quite as threatening as I remember. Still, though…) He looked to me in desperation—probably hoping I had an immediate solution for his little crisis.

I just sighed and shook my head.

Sorry me, you're gonna have to weather this storm on your own. No way in hell I'm getting involved in _that…_

* * *

From there, the rest of the introductions went relatively smoothly.

"I'm Aoi Asahina, ex-Ultimate Swimmer and future gym teacher at Hope's Peak. Nice to meet you all again!"

"Byakuya Togami, president of the Togami Corporation. Do try to keep your questions _somewhat_ civilized."

"Yasuhiro Hagakure, ex-Ultimate Clairvoyant! If you wanna ask me about the future, my usual rates apply!"

"_Ugh… I—I don't want to d-do this…"_

"It's okay, Toko, I'll do it for you! Hey, I'm Komaru Naegi—Makoto's little sister! And this is my girlfriend, Toko Fukawa, ex-Ultimate Writing Prodigy!"

With that out of the way, everyone started organizing their thoughts and reacting appropriately.

"_G-G-G-G-__**Girlfriend!?"**_ Past Toko spluttered. "Th-Th-That's impossible! M-My heart belongs to M-Master Byakuya, n-n-not a b-brainless shrimp like h-her!"

"Don't you _dare _call my cuddlebug brainless," Future Toko hissed, absolutely incensed. "M-Master's good and all, b-but K-Komaru's better than you'll ever know!"

"H-Ha! I beg to differ! Wh-Wh-What can _she_ do that Master c-can't, s-smoosh people with those big b-balloons of h-hers?"

"That's it. I-I'm breaking_ her_ out for this!"

"Toko, put your taser back down! Don't call Jill for _this!"_

Past Byakuya's eye twitched. He muttered, "Two crazies, both with a bad stench and different flavors of obsessed… I'm beginning to think graduating with 'guaranteed success' isn't worth this headache…"

"Did you hear that, Sakura, did you hear that!?" Past Hina jumped up and down animatedly enthusiastically, grabbing her best friend's arm. "I get to become a gym teacher in the future! _Eeeee,_ this is so _exciting!"_

Sakura smiled. "Yes, it certainly is."

"Ooh, do I get to break my donut-eating record where you're from!?" The younger Swimming Pro raised her hand with a very wide smile. "You've got to be able to eat a lot of donuts as a teacher, right? _Right?"_

"I've… broken it several times, yeah," Hina confirmed, a bittersweet smile briefly showing. She had a habit of binge-eating whenever she's majorly stressed – and god knows there were plenty of moments like that during the Tragedy. "I can give you a few pointers, if you don't mind learning from your future self. Oh, and on exercising better, too."

And now Past Hina was vibrating like a Wii Remote. _"YES! HA HA! Donut-eating competition, HERE I COME!"_

"Hey, hey! Me from the future!" Past Hiro hollered. "I know you said that our usual rates applied, but—you wouldn't mind telling _me_ a few things, right!? C'mon, I'm you, what's the harm in a 'lil free information?"

Thankfully, Hiro had enough sense to realize that some of the information we held was… too sensitive to tell even them about. "Sorry, buddy! You'll need about, uh… one billion yen before that becomes available! Platinum-tier rewards, y'know?

"_What!?_ Aw, man! I'll need to make, like, a million fortunes to afford _that!"_

"Good to hear that you're still a cheapskate no matter what the year," Leon deadpanned. "Even going as far as to literally sell our future to us…"

"…hey, Leon! You wouldn't mind doing a friend a favor, would ya?"

"Huh—!? Get real! There's no way I'm paying for one of your loony fortunes!"

"So…" Celeste laid her arms on her desk, her gaze moving back and forth between Byakuyas past and future. "Neither of you," she pointed at the two of them, "seem to have changed much in ten years' time. That smile of yours is the same as ever."

"Hmph." Past Byakuya pushed his glasses up his nose, a familiar smirk on his face. "That's because I'm already perfect. As the Togami scion, it would be unbecoming of me not to be."

"Perfect? I doubt it," Past Kyoko muttered, a gloved hand covering up the blush still on her cheeks. "You may be the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, but you've got a long way before you ever reach perfection."

Past Byakuya shot a fierce glare at the Detective.

The elder Togami, to his credit, didn't react too much other than raising an eyebrow. "I could say the same to you, honestly. Detective or not, I think your social skills—and common sense—could use a lot of work."

Past Kyoko clenched a hand in annoyance. "Why you…"

_Oh, Byakuya. You really have to stop trying to rile everyone up… _

Kyoko and I hung out in the back of the room, watching as two sides of the same world interacted with one another in an almost impossible event. "It's… nostalgic, seeing our whole class back together like this, isn't it?" she remarked.

"You said it…" I replied. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think all of us were reliving memories in the Neo World Program. It's… It's one heck of a surreal miracle. Like—a second chance to get things right."

I glanced over at Junko, whose eyes were lazily surfing about her fellow Ultimates' heads. It wasn't too hard for me to imagine her thought process—even if our presence here was only temporary, it still said a lot about how successful her plans would be in the long run.

Her old strategies won't work. She'd need to tweak them all.

And only my closest allies and I knew the extent to which she'd be willing to do so.

…in the end, the battle remained the same as it's always been.

The Ultimate Analyst vs. the Ultimate Luckster.

The Ultimate Despair vs. the Ultimate Hope.

The only difference was the battlefield we'd be facing off in.

"…there's no way I can leave them alone. Not when I know what their fates will be. Maybe it'll mean putting ourselves in more danger, but… if I step back now, I know I'd regret it forever."

Kyoko blinked a bit, before giving off a warm smile. "I expected as much. It's just like you to hope for the best, even in a situation like this." She took my hand and squeezed it tightly. "Don't worry—we'll be behind you every step of the way. We'll figure out a solution to this, **together.** That's a promise."

I smiled back. "Yeah. You've got that right, Kyoko."

I'm not alone in this. And we're not outnumbered this time.

This time, we know exactly what's going on. We've got a plan to save as many of our friends as we can. Even if it'll be hard, even if it's not our time anymore—we'll be there to see things through.

Oh—and we'll get to hang out with our old friends again. That's a good bonus.

_Whatever happens from here on out…_ I breathed in and out, as calmly as I could._ …we'll do our best to make it work._

_That's what **hope** is all about, after all._

* * *

**Here's something you don't see a lot of in this fandom: Physical Time Travel instead of the usual Peggy-Sue. Made it all of the surviving DR1 squad because why not? ****Only having**** one or two of them ****go back ****would be kinda lonely.**

…**oh, and Komaru. I mean, she and Toko **_**are**_** besties at this point.**

**I fudged the canon timeline a bit because dang does DR3 give me headaches. **_**Side: Despair **_**(and for that matter, **_**Side: Future)**_** desperately needed more time than it was given, because so many elements flat out went to waste (see the minimal screentime of Class 77-B and outright shafting of Class 78 for proof). They really needed more involvement in their own dang stories, so hopefully this'll give 'em the chance. After all, they've got a lot of despair to avert in their current futures.**

**One of my favorite parts of Time Travel fics is seeing the time travelers' reactions to their past selves and vice versa. Ten tons of hell and Character Development will really change a person – comparing then and now can be a really fun time, especially when you get into the relationship side of things. (Look at Past!Makoto and Past!Kyoko blushing; doesn't it just warm the heart?)**

**If anybody wants to make their own fic based on this, then I'm all for it! Erethia's **_**Infinity Route**_** is a good time travel-esque story in its own right, but I'd love to see something a little more light-hearted and fun. Go all out; I'll be waiting!**

**Well, that's all for now – see you guys around!**


	2. Past and Future Intertwined

**Neverland of Black and White**

_**Chapter 2  
**__Past and Future Intertwined_

(Uploaded on July 8, 2020)

* * *

**Summary:** The future Class 78 settle into their temporary norm. The present-day Class 78 try to figure out what's up.

**Notes:** This chapter is set the day after the previous chapter.

* * *

Makoto & Kyoko

* * *

**Hope's Peak Academy  
Second Floor – Hallway**

"Who does Kyoko think she is, being all smug and in your face like that…!?"

"If she thinks I'm just gonna let her win, she's got another thing coming…!"

"Uhh…" Makoto nervously glanced between Sayaka and Mukuro. "Y'know, I just remembered I had something important to do with my sister, so… can I—?"

Two pairs of eyes faced him with a harsh glare. _"You're staying here!"_

"A-A-Alright! If—If that's what you two want… _oh boy…"_

The Luckster had no idea how he had gotten into this situation.

It was one thing to have Sayaka and Mukuro drag him out to spy on people.

It was another thing entirely to have those people be _his future self_ and future Kyoko.

(And they were married, to boot!)

The three of them were peeking out from behind the corner, watching the couple stare out the window with hands interlocked. There was something in Future Makoto's eyes that neither the girls could pinpoint. Longing? Regret?

"Even now, I can still recognize where everything used to be," the time-displaced headmaster said, wistfully. "Fifteen years on and not a thing's changed in my mind."

The ex-Ultimate Detective snorted. "You sure that's not simply because you became headmaster of Hope's Peak?"

"Hey, I may not have your memory, but I could never forget this for the world. Not after all that's happened." He laughed, self-deprecatingly. "It really is just my luck that we'd end up back here like this, huh?"

"It certainly does seem that way… not that I'm complaining." Future Kyoko put her other hand to her chin and smiled. "I'd much prefer being here by your side, instead of at home and without you."

As they continued to converse with one another, the Pop Sensation and Soldier seethed in the background. _I'm supposed to be Makoto's childhood friend,_ the idol thought—_and yet, I've __**never**__ been able to be that casual with him! What does she have that I don't!?_

_I refuse to believe that this is reality,_ Mukuro insisted. _I __**refuse**__ to! Because that would mean—that would mean—!_

…_that I'm out of Makoto's life entirely…_

Meanwhile, the Luckster was taking a good look at the couple himself. _Kyoko's as steadfast as usual,_ he noted, _though she's… more laidback than I've ever seen her. And future me—I don't even know what to say about future me._

_Compared to hopelessly average me, he's basically a completely different person…!_

"That's one thing we can agree on," said guy chuckled. "Man, looking back, I used to be so oblivious. Three different girls vying for my attention, with me constantly wondering what's up… it's kinda cute, now that I can remember it. And… kinda sad."

"Mmm. It's… a pity, isn't it? Dynamics like the ones we had don't crop up often—I miss it sometimes, myself."

_Three… different… girls…? _Past Makoto blinked. _Wait, does that mean both Sayaka __**and**__ Mukuro are—?_

"Yeah. But hey," Future Makoto waved off his melancholy, "we're back in the past now, and we've got the opportunity to embarrass our younger selves _and_ our old classmates! That's better than I could've expected. Speaking of which…"

Abruptly, he turned toward the eavesdropping trio and waved at them. "Come on out, you three. Don't be shy! We don't bite or anything."

Makoto, Sayaka, and Mukuro all jolted in shock.

_H-How the heck did he see us!?_ Sayaka gawked. _Makoto's not __**that**__ observant, lessons with Kyoko aside!_

_I must be slipping,_ Mukuro swore. _There's no way I would've been caught if I had been focused…!_

Future Kyoko peered at the opposite end of the hallway and called for a fourth person to join them. "That includes you, past me. I know you're there. You're doing a bad job concealing yourself, for what it's worth."

"…well-played."

The younger Detective shuffled out from her not-very-hidden hiding spot, blushing furiously.

Sayaka and Mukuro shot another red-hot glower at her.

The Luckster sweatdropped. _Even she couldn't resist snooping in, huh…?_

* * *

Byakuya, Aoi, Yasuhiro

* * *

**Fourth Floor – Computer Lab**

Future Byakuya's fingers clacked across the keyboard.

A number of tabs were open on the laptop the company president was using, a dissatisfied expression present on his face as always. Next to him was Future Aoi and Future Yasuhiro—both of whom were being… less than productive, much to Byakuya's chagrin.

"Mmm…" The ex-Swimming Pro dumped another donut into her mouth, humming with delight. "Donuts in this era still taste as good as donuts from ours! I can already feel my worries washing away in the wind…!"

"Look at all these crystal balls going on retail!" the ex-Clairvoyant said excitedly, his smartphone lit up in his hand. (It was fortunate that they could still connect to the present-day Internet, different models aside.) "Hey, you two, which one do you think I should get? One of them's gotta be more magical than my last one!"

"I'm not going to help you waste your money, Hiro," Byakuya replied, without missing a beat. "And Hina, it would be appreciated if you could focus on gathering information—I trust you to do that more than this idiot."

"_Hey!"_

Aoi sighed. "I know, I know… but if I don't eat this, I think I'll go insane from anxiety!" She popped another donut in her mouth. "Just lemme finish this pack, and I'll get right to work—promise!"

In the background, Past Byakuya gazed disinterestedly at the trio of dysfunctional adults, joined by Leon, Chihiro, and Celeste. Facing his elder counterpart, he continued, "I don't see why you're electing to cooperate with these two. There are plenty of smarter individuals out there—even that commoner Makoto would be a better option."

Future Byakuya hummed. "Call it me being sentimental," he allowed. "Fifteen years of associating with these six will do that to you."

His past self shuddered. Spending well over a decade with _these_ plebeians—including Toko, however more respectable she may have become?

He'd rather go choke on a pineapple, thank you very much.

"What are you three even _doing,_ anyway?" Leon brought up, one finger scratching the side of his head. "Researching? You lived through this time already; I don't see why you _have_ to do so…"

"Is their reasoning not obvious?" Celeste raised an eyebrow. "Without fact-checking, there can be little accounting for inaccuracies in their memories. It is akin to trying to play poker without ever glancing at your cards."

Chihiro bit her lip. "That… d-_does_ seem like something you'd want to avoid…"

"Exactly. It's simply common sense." The once-heir closed his laptop and swiveled toward the other four. "It's imperative that we get all our facts right now—because if we need to do it later, it could lead to disaster."

Leon and Chihiro blinked simultaneously. "Disaster…?"

Future Aoi cringed. "Trust me, you don't wanna know. Not everything during our time at Hope's Peak was smiles and sunshine—as much as I wish it was. I've… got a lot of regrets, and I'd rather not see them repeated, if I can help it."

Celeste paused.

Aoi was a girl who was normally endlessly optimistic.

What kind of regrets would someone like her have?

_(And why did she make it sound so deadly serious?)_

"That's why we've gotta do what we can before things get to that point!" Future Yasuhiro said, pumping a fist into his palm. "And that starts with… doing all this stuff!" He laid back in his chair and rubbed his fingers through his hair. "Man… if only my crystal ball hadn't broken when we got here. Then I could actually perform some expert-level predictions!"

"f you really want to make yourself useful, I think you're better off getting the Reserve Course students on our side," Future Byakuya said. "Specifically, Hajime and Natsumi. Your idiocy just might be over-the-top enough to be endearing to them."

"…I'm not sure if that was a compliment, but I'll take it!"

"The Reserve Course, you say?" Past Byakuya crossed his arms. "And what, pray tell, would you need with _those_ riff-raff?"

Aoi breathed in and out, struggling to stay composed. "You wouldn't understand. Not with the way this whole school acts." Beneath her breath, she muttered, "God, I—I really do hope we can make a real difference this time…"

The Affluent Progeny and the Gambler exchanged glances.

_They plan to keep us out of the loop, do they?_ the former scoffed. _As if they could hide anything from a Togami, of all people._

_Mark my words, I __**will**__ drag the truth from their mouths,_ the latter vowed. _They may hold all the cards… but I have plenty of experience with this kind of game._

* * *

Komaru & Toko/Jill

* * *

**Courtyard**

"I still can't believe you're willing to eat s-stuff like _this."_

"Oh come on, Toki! There's nothing wrong about this! It's perfectly ordinary food for a perfectly ordinary girl!"

"As if. It's about as ordinary as Makoto's tastes in gifts…"

The self-dubbed Ultra Despair Girls were in Hope's Peak's courtyard, ready to have another of their usual lunch dates. As was a semi-regular occurrence, Komaru had a tray of kangaroo meat sitting on her lap, while Toko struggled not to cringe at her girlfriend's… exotic palette.

Past Toko, on the other hand, had no such qualms.

"Eww. Eww, eww, _eww._ H-H—How can you _stomach_ this k-kind of sh-shit?" the Writing Prodigy groused, holding a hand over her mouth. "T-To give up Master for _her…_ both of you s-s-sicken me."

"Aren't you just cheery?" Past Aoi deadpanned. In the background, Mondo scratched his head in confusion, while Hifumi gleefully soaked in every minute detail of the scene. "Really, you should be happy that you've found love in the future, Toko! It's… different than what we all expected, but still!"

"Grrrrrrrrr…! Of course _you _would see it that way." Her hands started to shake uncontrollably, her face going redder than the athlete had honestly ever seen her. "This drab girl's l-like—like a _bowl of soup_ in comparison to Master! No presence, no charm; no athletic or intellectual skills, either… how could I _ever_ fall in love with _her?"_

Komaru kept munching on her lunch, not affected by Past Toko's words in the slightest. "Hey, I may not be all that special, but I try my best! You should keep an open mind—you never know what you'll find."

Hifumi pushed his glasses up his nose and grinned. "So, you're Mr. Makoto Naegi's sister, eh? I must say, you certainly do share that **protagonist aura** of his! And his ahoge, too!"

"I do?" She put a finger to her mouth and chuckled nervously. "I wouldn't really put it like that, myself. We're siblings, sure, but we couldn't be more different from each other."

"Yeah. She rides motorbikes at full speed, likes sitting on training potties, and can kick your ass h-harder than a Monokuma on steroids," Toko supplied.

Mondo blinked. "She rides bikes?"

"She sits on _training potties?"_ Aoi chimed in, bewildered.

"…wh-wh—what's a Monokuma?" Past Toko brought up. (She went ignored.)

The Ultimate Fanfic Creator beamed. "Bwehehe… You are quite the individual, Ms. Komaru Naegi! There's more to you beneath that Ordinary High-School Student façade!" _("She's not even __**in**__ high school; that metaphor d-doesn't work!")_ "What adventures have you gone on, as compared to your lucky older brother? There must be a story you can tell us!"

"Well…"

"_AAAAAAAAAHHH! MY MECH! IT'S OUTTA CONTROL!"_

Abruptly, a giant-ass robot burst through one of the walls, startling the six still sitting in the courtyard. It was fizzling with electricity and moving around in a jerky fashion, weapons prepared to fire at any time.

"Oh, come on," the Swimming Pro groaned—"this again!? This is the third time this month!"

"G-Great," Past Toko groused. "Today's just the w-w-worst day. First I l-learn about my future, a-and now everything's exploding again. _Ughhhhhhhhh… _why is this happening to me!?"

Komaru put her tray down and sighed.

"Even here, Hope's Peak can't stay quiet for a single second, huh…? Fine by me." She leaped from her seat and unlatched a rather strange peripheral of hers—a device shaped like a megaphone. "I've been itching to get some action in, anyway! Toko, you ready?"

"O-Of course," her girlfriend said, "who do you take me for?"

She got out an electric taser and shocked herself with it, much to the surprise of the four observing her. In an instant, Toko was gone, and in her place was…

"_Kyeeehahahahahaha! _Somebody smashed the triangle button, and _here I am!"_

…Genocide Jill.

"Ooh, and what do we have here?" The ex-Ultimate Murderous Fiend squinted at her wide-eyed audience. (Past Toko, in particular, had her jaw pretty much on the floor.) "I must be dreamin', 'cuz I'm seeing the past come to life—and Miss Gloomy, too! We on the set for a reality TV show or somethin', Dekomaru? I always thought those were boring—not enough murder for my tastes!"

"It's a long story, Jill," Komaru replied. "Tell you 'bout it later. Right now, we've got more important things to deal with." She pointed a thumb at the rampaging wrecking machine in the background.

"Well, if that's all you need, then who am I to deny ya!?" she laughed. "Let's break this thing in half, just like the old days!"

"I knew I could count on you. C'mon!"

The two proceeded to leap into action, Break Shots and Genoscissors flying across the makeshift battlefield.

A beat of silence passed before everyone managed to find their voice.

"…damn," Mondo breathed. "If she's _that_ badass, then I'd really love to race her sometime. Wonder how fast she can push herself…"

Toko was reduced to stammering incoherently. "Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What? She—She-She-She-She-She—! Genocide J-Jack? J-Just like that?"

"Wow!" Hifumi's glasses glinted approvingly. "Her heroic ability is truly unparalleled! She and Makoto are giving me tons of new inspiration already!"

"…are all of us going to be like this in the future?" Aoi asked, flabbergasted. "Being able to fight giant robots and such without breaking a sweat? Because I have even more questions now than when we started!"

* * *

The Seven Survivors

* * *

**Class 78's Homeroom**

Junko sat in the back of the classroom, laying her eyes on the six remnants of Class 78 (plus one).

"Look at them," she muttered disdainfully under her breath. "Smiling and laughing as if they've never ever seen a glimpse of despair. Where do they get off being so hopeful?"

She didn't like this.

She didn't like this at all.

Granted, Junko wasn't one to be affectionate toward anything—Yasuke barely qualified as an exception—but…

This confirmation of her plans being unsuccessful in the long-term?

It vexed her.

And even worse, she could tell that it was all herbivore boy's fault.

Oh, they didn't go and say it outright. They weren't that stupid. But she could make a few educated guesses, based on the way the six other adults seemed to gravitate around the ex-Ultimate Luckster.

"What's it like, being the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy?"

Future Makoto smiled at his younger self's innocent question.

"It's something else, I'll tell you that," he replied. "Handling dozens of Ultimates every day, making sure the academy stays up and running… it's not quite as extravagant as you'd expect, but it definitely isn't boring, either. It helps that I've got my friends on staff, too."

Future Kyoko nodded, a warm expression on her face. "Between the seven of us, we have a variety of bases covered—and our students know better than to make us mad. Believe me, anything you can do, we've probably seen several times over already."

"I see, I see!" Kiyotaka professed loudly. "You all have lots of experience in the field! I am very impressed in your abilities to curate a suitable learning environment!"

"Ha ha—coming from you, that's some pretty high praise," Komaru said. "Thanks!"

"It's nothing special," Future Byakuya dismissed—"any peasant could wrangle Hope's Peak's rowdy bunches, so long as they have the mental fortitude. I could do it in my sleep."

"_Kyeeehahaha! _You heard him here first, folks!" Genocide Jill cackled. "Nothing's impossible for Master Byakuya!"

_Look at my classmates,_ Junko internally scoffed. _They're so easily enthralled by their future selves, it's almost depressing. Even my twin sister can't keep her eyes off of them, and she's as emotionally resonant as a moldy brick._

On a whim, the Fashionista moved her gaze toward Sayaka and Mukuro, who were silently fuming in their seats. Yasuhiro was hovering over them, offering them a discount on his services—_"If you guys want some help, I'm totally down for that!"—_while his future self frantically shook his head no.

_I should've taken care of Makoto ages ago,_ she thought, _before he managed to sink his teeth into Mukuro. I'd bet that even if I asked her to now, she'd think twice about taking that Luckster outta the game._

"_Wh-Wh-Why the heck are you allowed to be a s-s-__**staff member**__, of all th-things!?" _Past Toko yelled, tersely looking at her doppelganger in irritation. "And—wh-what was with that s-stunt you pulled earlier!?"

"Oh, that?" Jill beamed. "I'd tell you now, but there's no fun in giving you all the answers! It's like skipping straight to the end of a book without stopping! Just know that I'm _totally_ reformed, and that Dekomaru's, like, the cutest girl this side of Japan!"

"_Like hell you are! A-And like hell she is!"_

"Wow," Komaru laughed, _"somebody's_ in disbelief! I almost can't believe Toko used to be her…"

"Tell me about it," Future Aoi chirped. "At least she's not so crazy over Byakuya anymore. Otherwise, we would've had a much harder time dealing with the painting incident last month—"

The ex-Affluent Progeny shot a harsh glare at the ex-Swimming Pro. "We don't speak of that."

Future Yasuhiro brightened up. "Oh, yeah! There _was_ that! Man, you guys should've seen Byakuya's reaction to the statue they made of him—"

His voice got more annoyed. _"We don't speak of that."_

Sakura chuckled. "Some things never change, I suppose. It'll be an interesting experience, learning from these future versions of our fellow classmates. I look forward to it."

That was fine. Junko was looking forward to it, too—but in a different way.

_They can conceal the truth all they want, but I'm more than capable of figuring out the future from them. And I've got the means to fire back against anything they can do to sabotage my plans._

_They think it'll be easy to stop the apocalypse this time?_

_Fat chance of __**that**__._

_I'm the Ultimate Despair; the one who'll induce The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History._

_I'll bide my time for now, but I'm a quick learner. No matter what they do, they can't stop me from plunging this world into despair—_

—_or from bringing their world back to the brink._

_Just you wait and see. Despair will triumph over hope, as it was always meant to be._

_Just you wait._

* * *

**So, I recently got and beat **_**Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls. **_**The third-person shooter aspects are admittedly a bit undercooked, and the game can be a bit strict with navigation and Save Points sometimes… but overall, it was a fun time.**

**And honestly, the game was worth getting, if only to see Komaru and Toko's relationship blossom.**

**(I ship them now. I ship them a lot. They are just so perfect for each other.)**

**In celebration of this event, I decided writing an addendum chapter to this fic wouldn't hurt. And this time, we get to see Past!Class 78's side of the story, instead of just what Future!Makoto sees. Fun times for all!**

**The appearance of Future!Class 78 naturally raises a lot of question for their counterparts. Their fire-forged camaraderie eclipses the younger sixteen's bonds in spades, and there's an air of mystery behind how much they had to grow in the intervening years. For most of the Ultimates, though, the best explanations they're gonna get are vague references and inferences.**

**Which is fine by me, in this case. After all, half the fun of this comes from seeing the sixteen's reactions to their surprise visitors.**

**Well, that's all for now – see you around!**


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